Talk:The Story of Idunn Jarl/@comment-26538658-20160123143136

Since the capture of Redwall Abbey, almost all the Abbey residents had become slaves. Abbess Marjoram was made to work, as was Sister Fumbril and all others. Ruark Boldstream was dead, killed in the capture of the Abbey. All slaves were now crammed in a large cell inside Brockhall, or Althier, as the Ravagers called it.

One such slave was Reno the otter. He was a former member of Ruark Boldstream's otter crew, along with his wife, Opal. She was killed trying to defend the Dibbuns. Prior to her death, she had given birth to their first child, a daughter named Brook. Reno and his sister Fumbril has been taking care of it, with her keeping the babe in a sling pouch during the day, and him holding her during the night. Only a season had passed since the seizing of the Abbey, and now word was out that Vilaya and Zwilt now had a son. A son! That was what everybeast needed, something to ensure them that their suffering would not end at Vilaya and Zwilt's deaths. Oh, no, Idunn will be just as cruel as his mother and father combined!

Reno dug his shovel into the ground. He pulled up a rock. This was good, as that was just what they were supposed to find. Vilaya wanted a grand statue of herself in the place of the garden, and it was the slave's job to sculpt it and build the foundation. Basically everything. All the Ravagers would do is going to the quarry and taking some marble from there. But even then, slaves would find it and drag it back to the Abbey. Just then, his friend Diggs came in and started digging too. The hare may have been fat at one time, but you certainly could not tell now. Because of all the hard work and lack of sufficient food, he had become quite muscular now.

"I say," the hare whispered into his friend's ear, "the flippin' beatins' we've been gettin' for this past season aren't gonna do us well. Some day or another, they'll have hit me with that ol' rod, an' I'll just fall over dead. Lost all me blinkin' will to live, wot! 'Course, The seasons never have been too kind to us since the capture. Ambrevina's dead, Bukler too, an' your Opal, but we've just had t' bally well keep on livin' like this! We just can't move on to the ol' green forest with th' quiet streams and golden fields! We just have ta stay here an' rot, jus' like those pore ol' oarslaves on them corsair ships. I wish we were still at the ol' mountain, Brang,'ll know wha t' do. Those Ravagers don't know much about that mountain. Why, Vilaya appears t' be afrad of the ole place! Hah!"

Jut then, the weasel Slopgut shouted at the two. "Hey, we ain't be tellin' ya to chat, we be tellin' ya to work! Nex' time, we'll beat ya to pulp!" Reno looked back. He tried to hide a scowl from the guard.